Monday, February 15, 2016

Visitors to the Manitoba & Minnesota Sub. step back in time when they enter the layout room--both figuratively and literally.

Figuratively, because it is always the early 1990s on the layout. That means a preponderance of my favorite locomotive, the SD40-2.

The latest version of modern power are two AC4400s, which made their appearance on CP Rail in 1995--the end point for my layout's era.

There's also no "golden beavers" or modern block-script CANADIAN PACIFIC: Just multi-marks, no multi-mark and Twin Flags schemes, along with some original SOO and other liveries that existed at the time.

But a visit to the layout room is also a literal step back in time. Visitors can see what model railroading was like in the early 1990s, when I started the layout.

For one thing, the layout is still DC. (Or, as I call it, Dinosaur Control). And a lot of the locomotives are Athearn blue box.

As for highly-detailed (and high priced) rolling stock, I have a few--mostly InterMountain cylindrical hoppers and a couple of Rapido vans. Otherwise, it's Athearn, Roundhouse and Accurail, with some Atlas, Tyco, Bachmann, Lionel and a few other kinds thrown in.

In other words, my layout has become a historical set-piece in more ways than one. It can take people back 20 years, to a different kind of railroading, and also back 20 years to a different kind of model railroading.

Now that I think of it, maybe I should stop calling it a layout and start calling it a museum!

Saturday, February 6, 2016

I’ve passed this industry dozens of times on the 401 when travelling from Pearson airport in Toronto to Kitchener.

I’ve often wondered what it was, and what was being brought in by the covered hoppers that are usually lined up outside the building.

So, this time, I decided to do a bit of research. And with some time between business appointments, I also went trackside to take a few photos, too.

The company is Katoen Natie, which is headquartered in Belgium. It
provides logistics and other services to various industries in Europe and North
America.

In Canada, Katoen Natie has branches in Edmonton, Montreal and Mississauga.
This Mississauga location offers logistics for specialty chemicals—plastics
used for packaging, boxes and bags.

I assume the covered hoppers lined up beside the building are bringing
plastic pellets, and that they are unloaded pneumatically. The cars are
delivered by Canadian Pacific.(And thanks to Jurgen Kleylein, I now know that the pellets are stored in the cars until needed; no need for storage facilities in the building. This explains why there are so many hoppers there.)

For those of us modelling the modern era, an industry like Katoen Natie would
be a great addition to a layout, what with having so many spots for cars in
such a small area.

It would be simple to make with some cardstock, foam board and
corrugated siding. You don't even need doors!

It could be modelled as a flat, with one, two or, in this case, three tracks
beside it.

Too bad the CP Rail
M & M Sub. is done. Maybe if I ever build a new layout, this could become a
signature industry.

(Sorry about the trackside photos; the sun was on the wrong side of the building when I
made my visit.)

About Me

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